Out Door
Kid Acne (photo courtesy of the festival)
Painter Anthony Lister is also a Street Artist. His surreal pop and celebrity culture-infused abstractions are candy encrusted apples which may have something sharp inside. Many are figurative studies and wire frames bending wildly into characters who cavort and mock with blunt swipes of color, overlaid by costumed sexual role play… or is that a personal projection? Did I mention elegance, defiance, wit? Wait, there is so much here! Truth is, his work can be a cock-eyed psychological tempest, jarring to the head, strangely sweet.
A decade of discovery under his superhero belt, Mr. Lister continues to analyze and build his creative practice and it always includes work inside the gallery and outside on the street. He’s currently preparing for his solo show in Sydney called “Bogan Paradise” at Gallery A.S. At the same time he’s part of a group show with a gaggle of his Aussie expats on view at 941 Geary in San Francisco for “Young and Free”, including Kid Zoom, Dabs & Myla, Dmote, New2, Ben Frost, Meggs, Ha-Ha, Reka, Rone, Sofles and Vexta. Not to mention his participation in our show last month in Los Angeles at C.A.V.E. with Thinkspace, “Street Art Saved My Life : 39 New York Stories“.
The artist took some time recently to talk to Brooklyn Street Art about his practice;Brooklyn Street Art: How much of one of your painted portraits is autobiographical? In other words, what portion of Mr. Lister is super hero, super model, furtive schoolboy, or Homer Simpson?
Anthony Lister: I don’t really think about myself when I paint. My figurative works are more like reflections of characteristics I absorb from real life day to day.
Brooklyn Street Art: If you were to wear colored glasses, which color do you think you would most likely screen the world through?
Anthony Lister: Pink, like John Lennon.
Brooklyn Street Art: Francis Bacon said, “The creative process is a cocktail of instinct, skill, culture and a highly creative feverishness.” Would you drink that cocktail?
Anthony Lister: Nice words. I agree.
Brooklyn Street Art: What role does analysis play in your creative process when bringing a painting to fruition?
Anthony Lister: Analysis is the outcome of considered processing. Constant consideration is crucial.
Brooklyn Street Art: A big piece you did on Metropolitan in Brooklyn – you reworked that face a couple of times over a period of months, producing what appeared as a slowly morphing image. Were you covering up tags, or were you unhappy with the original, or maybe combating the effects of age with a little nip and tuck?
Anthony Lister: When I re-work street paintings I think of it like I am a hairdresser. When something is in the public it has a different existence to something living privately in a residence. I’m like a hairdresser I guess.
Brooklyn Street Art: You have spoken about your work as reality, or a reaction to realities. What realities are you depicting these days?
Anthony Lister: I just finished a body of work for a solo show in Sydney. This next body of work is about contemporary Australian culture. The exhibition is titled “Bogan Paradise.”
Brooklyn Street Art: When you consider the Street Art scene that evolved around Melbourne, how would you characterize its nature in a way that differentiates it from the work in other cities around the world?
Anthony Lister: No different. This whole street art thing has sprung up post the turn of the digital revolution so it is on the Internet quick and the artists who inspire others and the ones who are easily inspired are constantly swimming in the same aesthetic pools of consciousness. Not to mention that most of the prominent artists travel lots so it is easy to see work of the same artist in multiple cities around the world at the same time.
Brooklyn Street Art: The titles you give your gallery pieces are entertaining, instructive, illustrative. Do you ever want to place a placard near a piece you’ve done on the street – just to make sure the message gets across?
Anthony Lister: No. My street practice is less thoughtful and therefore needs less commentary.
Brooklyn Street Art: When is a painting complete?
Anthony Lister: When it tells me so.
Want to see more work? Just “Lister” it.
To introduce readers to some of the Street Artists in the show “Street Art Saved My Life: 39 New York Stories”, BSA asked a number of the artists to take part in “Back Talk” with one of our most trusted and underground and sweet sources for modern art, Juxtapoz.
Today we hear from Gilf!
One reason you make art: I make art to change people’s perspectives, and to bring awareness to major issues that face our whole planet. I also do it to make people smile. Street art is an amazing tool that allows me to speak to people with whom I wouldn’t get the chance in real life.
To introduce readers to some of the Street Artists in the show “Street Art Saved My Life: 39 New York Stories”, BSA asked a number of the artists to take part in “Back Talk” with one of our most trusted and underground and sweet sources for modern art, Juxtapoz.
Today we hear from Rene Gagnon.
The first record or CD you ever bought? The last album you downloaded?
“First has to be RUN DMC – with the Krush Groove jam. Eminem, ‘Relapse & Recovery.’ “
To introduce readers to some of the Street Artists in the show “Street Art Saved My Life: 39 New York Stories”, BSA asked a number of the artists to take part in “Back Talk” with one of our most trusted and underground and sweet sources for modern art, Juxtapoz.
Today we hear from Mark Carvalho.
Something you want the world to know about you:
“I only sing two songs for karaoke; Lionel Richie’s ‘Hello’ and Tupac’s ‘How do you want it’.”
To introduce readers to some of the Street Artists in the show “Street Art Saved My Life: 39 New York Stories”, BSA asked a number of the artists to take part in “Back Talk” with one of our most trusted and underground and sweet sources for modern art, Juxtapoz.
Today we hear from Indigo.
Artists you admire:
“I admire everyone who has the courage to spend hours, weeks, months and years turning thoughts and feelings into things, then putting them out into the world for others to respond with love or hate or complete indifference. I admire anyone who has the integrity to create for themselves, first and foremost. I admire those who are constantly pushing themselves to try new ideas, use new mediums, reach out to new audiences and immerse themselves in uniquely challenging experiences. I admire everyone who has taken a leap of faith, fallen into dark and swirling waters and after what often seems like a lifetime of struggle, reached the sunshine on the other side – only to do it all over again.”
The show in Los Angeles last weekend was a lot of fun, with 500 people flowing through C.A.V.E. Gallery to see studio work by some of the artists on the streets of NYC. What impressed us the most was the number of conversations we saw taking place with two or three friends gathered around a piece and discussing it and really taking it in. Marsea Goldberg, owner of New Image Gallery told us, “This is Los Angeles, we take art seriously”, and judging by the enthusiasm and knowledgeable people we met at the opening, in the back patio, and on the street, many Angelinos are interested in street art from the east coast. After comments about the dense and layered quality of the show, the next most popular topic was, “When are you going to do an LA street art show in New York?” After we catch our breath. Thank you LA, and thank you all the artists who came out to make work on the walls.
Thank you also to photographer Carlos Gonzalez for shooting all the pieces in the show, which follows after this collage of opening night shots by Andrew Hosner from ThinkSpace, who was our partner with C.A.V.E. to make this show happen.
See a couple of links at the end of this posting for more pictures of the opening from Andrew Hosner and Karin Freda.
Adam Void (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Anthony Lister (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Broken Crow (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
C215 (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Cake (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Chris Stain (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Clown Soldier (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Creepy (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Dan Witz (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
El Sol 25 (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
EMA (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Faile (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Futura (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Gaia (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Gilf! (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Hargo (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Hellbent (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
How and Nosm (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Imminent Disaster (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Indigo (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Kid Acne (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Know Hope (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Ludo (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Mark Carvalho (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Miss Bugs (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Nick Walker (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
NohJColey (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Other (AKA Troy Lovegates) (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
OverUnder (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Radical! (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Rene Gagnon (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Skewville (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Specter (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Sweet Toof (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Swoon (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
Tiptoe (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
White Cocoa (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)
If you want to see pics of opening night on Andrew Hosner’s Facebook Page please go here:
To see Karin Freda’s Flickr page of photos from the show please go here :http://www.flickr.com/photos/karinfreda/sets/72157627427952010/
To introduce readers to some of the Street Artists in the upcoming show “Street Art Saved My Life: 39 New York Stories”, BSA asked a number of the artists to take part in “Back Talk” with one of our most trusted and underground and sweet sources for modern art, Juxtapoz.
Today we hear from TipToe.
Something that annoys or frustrates you about people: “Obsessions with Warhol and people who don’t know the difference between ambiguous and arbitrary”
To introduce readers to some of the Street Artists in the show “Street Art Saved My Life: 39 New York Stories”, BSA asked a number of the artists to take part in “Back Talk” with one of our most trusted and underground and sweet sources for modern art, Juxtapoz.
Today we hear from Radical!
Artists you admire: “Henry Darger, Margaret Kilgallen (RIP), Barry McGee, Booker (Read More Books), Blu, Barbara Kruger, Robert Longo, C215, Chris Stain, Dondi White (RIP), Os Gemeos, Vrno, Gaia, Josh Keyes, the old Pottymouth Crew (Dwell, Oneunit, Mr. Prvrt), my grandpa, my professors, all of the people still going big these days.”
Fun Friday Stories this week
1. Opening Tonight “Street Art Saved My Life : 39 New York Stories” (LA)
2. Anthony Lister’s Wall Still Shining
3. LUDO Gets Up Downtown LA
4. “Art in the Streets” Closes
5. Dabs and Myla at ThinkSpace Tomorrow (LA)
6. “Street Art Stories” Presentation and Panel Discussion at LA MOCA Saturday
If you are in LA tonight, please check out some New York stories at C.A.V.E. Gallery. The show is hung, the brand new pieces out back by Creepy, Gilf!, NohJColey, Adam Void, Hellbent, and Tiptoe are still wet, and Patrick just rollered a thick layer of black on the floors to cover up the mess we made. People from 7 or 8 countries have put in such personal and meaningful pieces, the quality is high, and so are a lot people in LA we’ve discovered. And there are a few surprises that you won’t believe – like Futura’s piece called “Brooklyn Street Art”, made of, guess what? And Nick Walker’s piece and accompanying mannequin will raise some eyebrows no doubt. It has been so great to work with these artists and these partners (ThinkSpace, C.A.V.E., Juxtapoz, LA FreeWalls, HuffPost Arts, LA MOCA) for the last half year to pull this together, and we are deeply indebted to everyone’s talents, vision, and positive attitudes. Before the doors are open, it feels like a total success. Love you guys and gals more everyday.
Monday was the last day for the largest exhibition of graffiti and street art under one roof at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), “Art in the Streets”. Over the last four months the expansive show gave a little over 200,000 people an opportunity to see and learn about and understand a great deal more about the history of this multifaceted scene which continues to grow and morph and evolve around the world. Congratulations to curators Jeffrey Deitch, Roger Gastman, and Aaron Rose for their tenacity and everyone who played a part in putting this show together, a real collaborative effort.
Hundreds of household items have been painted, many of them interconnected with larger pieces, are all over the ThinkSpace Gallery right now as final prep is happening for tomorrow night’s Dabs and Myla show by the Melborne/LA couple who have been keenly tag teaming to finish everything on time. Tomorrow we’ll have some pics for you. In the meantime here’s an interview on Sour Harvest and on Juxtapoz.
For more information about this show click on the link below:
http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/?p=23137
Taking a look at one direction that Street Art is going today and talking about what it augers for the future as more artists are investing time and labor into narratives behind their pieces on the street. Really looking forward to this one!
To introduce readers to some of the Street Artists in the upcoming show “Street Art Saved My Life: 39 New York Stories”, BSA asked a number of the artists to take part in “Back Talk” with one of our most trusted and underground and sweet sources for modern art, Juxtapoz.
Today we talk with OverUnder.
Something you’ve always wanted to do, but have yet to:
“Dive out of a car before it flies off a cliff.”
Don’t make love by the garden gate – Love is blind but the neighbors ain’t!
Looks like Street Artist Dan Witz has installed a large full length street version of “Hoodys Kissing” in this bricked alcove, but who will see it? The artist has mastered the art of camouflage, plainly laying out his work where it can be seen with the bare eye.
Standing nearby and watching passersby for a few minutes gives ample evidence that we can be blind to the things right in front of us – and in a city that is full of loud noises, music, polluting cars, sidewalk vendors, and sexy summer fashions parading at you from all directions, can you blame us? Plus, I think that traffic attendant is putting a ticket on my windshield! “Wait! Sir! I’m just running in this drug store to get my Grandma some Doan’s pill for her knees! Please don’t give me a ticket, I was only in there for 2 minutes! Crap!”
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BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
